Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B61—RAILWAYS
  • B61D—BODY DETAILS OR KINDS OF RAILWAY VEHICLES
  • B61D17/00—Construction details of vehicle bodies
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B61—RAILWAYS
  • B61F—RAIL VEHICLE SUSPENSIONS, e.g. UNDERFRAMES, BOGIES OR ARRANGEMENTS OF WHEEL AXLES; RAIL VEHICLES FOR USE ON TRACKS OF DIFFERENT WIDTH; PREVENTING DERAILING OF RAIL VEHICLES; WHEEL GUARDS, OBSTRUCTION REMOVERS OR THE LIKE FOR RAIL VEHICLES
  • B61F5/00—Constructional details of bogies; Connections between bogies and vehicle underframes; Arrangements or devices for adjusting or allowing self-adjustment of wheel axles or bogies when rounding curves
  • B61F5/50—Other details
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R4/00—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation
  • H01R4/58—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation characterised by the form or material of the contacting members
  • H01R4/64—Connections between or with conductive parts having primarily a non-electric function, e.g. frame, casing, rail

Definitions

• the invention relates to a rail vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1.
• Standard rail vehicles are well-known in practice.
• the frame refers to the elements of the rail vehicle's supporting structure, while the superstructure refers to the components, assemblies, or modules attached to this supporting structure. Fastening is achieved using bolts, such as rivets or typically screws.
• the running gear also attached to the supporting structure, refers to the elements of the rail vehicle located between the supporting structure and the rails on which the rail vehicle travels.
• the superstructures are connected to the frame via grounding cables, which are attached to at least one or be bolted to the respective element of the rail vehicle at both of their ends. Since the rails, the chassis, and the frame are all made of steel, i.e., electrically conductive materials, the grounding cables ensure grounding of the superstructure, as an electrically conductive connection exists from the superstructure via the frame and chassis to the rails, and via the rails to the ground.
• the grounding cables have effective cross-sections of 95 mm2 or more.
• the problem is that metal thieves can remove these grounding cables from the rail vehicle. Since, apart from the compromised grounding, the rail vehicle remains fully functional, there is a risk that the removal of the grounding cables will go unnoticed. Furthermore, there is a risk that the rail vehicle will continue to be used even after the loss of the grounding cables has been discovered, ultimately exposing the train's personnel to increased danger.
• a rail vehicle car body which is specially equipped with so-called grounding components.
• Each grounding component has a grounding holder designed in the form of a bracket, to which a grounding cable, referred to as a grounding rope, can be screwed.
• a fastening element that consists of a blind rivet nut and an inserted fastening screw. Grounding lugs at the ends of grounding cables are clamped between the blind rivet nut and the head of the fastening screw.
• the screw is not used to fasten the components; rather, the fastening element serves to create an electrical grounding point, i.e., to provide an electrically conductive connection for the grounding lugs. into a sheet metal or other component of a motor vehicle, especially in the case of repair, to replace broken ground bolts.
• grounding components are intended for grounding electrical components to the car body shell.
• the grounding of the electrical components is carried out – as is common practice in rail vehicle construction – using grounding cables that are connected to the grounding components by screws.
• a stainless steel threaded insert may be incorporated in the grounding holder, which serves to screw on such a grounding cable.
• the invention is based on the objective of improving a generic rail vehicle in such a way that it enables reliable and permanently secured grounding.
• the invention proposes not to use external, separate grounding cables, but rather to provide contact elements made of an electrically conductive and corrosion-resistant material where contact surfaces already exist. This applies, for example, to the points where the superstructure is connected to the frame or the frame to the chassis.
• corrosion-resistant means that the contact elements are protected against corrosion not only at the time of installation, but also fundamentally due to their material properties under the conditions encountered during the operation of the rail vehicle. Protection against corrosion in this context means that the contact element in question is not destroyed by corrosion.
• Additional components such as the aforementioned grounding elements and grounding brackets known from rail vehicles, which are designed for use with grounding cables in a known manner, can therefore be omitted as proposed.
• the present proposal does not require an additional grounding console. Instead, the existing contact surface required to attach the superstructure to the vehicle frame is used for grounding the components.
• the contact elements are pressed together in an electrically conductive manner by means of bolts at the connection points, for example where the structure is connected to the frame, so that as a result the contact surfaces are held in an electrically conductive contact by means of the bolts.
• the contact elements also connect electrically to the component of the rail vehicle to which they are attached, i.e., are electrically conductively connected either to the body or to the frame.
• the inventive design of the rail vehicle simplifies, firstly, the assembly of the rail vehicle, since the grounding is automatically ensured when the superstructure is attached to the frame, which is required anyway, without the need for additional assembly steps such as installing a grounding cable.
• the superstructure is grounded as long as it is attached to the rail vehicle frame.
• the rail vehicle is better protected against vandalism, since no separate grounding cables are used that could be removed.
• the contact elements are well protected in the area of the connection points where the superstructure is attached to the rail vehicle frame by means of bolts. This improved vandalism protection enhances the safety of the rail vehicle personnel and reduces the maintenance effort that would otherwise be required for replacing grounding cables.
• the rail vehicle can be designed according to the invention by providing stainless steel sheets on the frame and on the superstructure in the area of fastening points, for example, screw connections. These sheets come into contact with each other when the superstructure is connected to the frame at the fastening points.
• the fastening of the superstructure to the frame using screws is mentioned here only as an example, without limiting the invention to the design of the bolts as screws.
• particularly reliable contact is achieved by inserting an electrically conductive sleeve into a bore in the frame, which is intended to receive the bolts.
• This sleeve forms the contact element of the frame. It is particularly advantageous that this can be done at all screw connections. At the points where the structure is connected to the frame, such sleeves are provided as contact elements.
• the sleeve has an inner diameter large enough to allow the bolt to be inserted and pass through it.
• the sleeve is electrically connected to the frame. The clamping pressure applied during the manufacturing of the screw connection ensures excellent electrical contact between the bolt and the sleeve for grounding purposes.
• the frame is preferably free of any surface coating in the area where it contacts the sleeve.
• the sleeve advantageously connects to the frame at both ends in a watertight manner.
• the sleeve can, for example, be welded into the frame of the rail vehicle, so that it connects to the frame at both ends in a watertight and electrically conductive way.
• separate sealing elements such as O-rings or the like can be used, but especially electrically conductive sealing elements such as copper rings.
• the corrosion-resistant contact elements can, for example, consist of an aluminum or copper alloy, which, due to its aluminum or copper content, can exhibit excellent electrical conductivity. While such materials as aluminum or copper oxidize, just like steel, and are therefore not ultimately corrosion-free, they form an oxide layer on their surface that protects the rest of the material from further oxidation. Thus, these materials are corrosion-resistant in the sense of this proposal. In contrast, the oxide layer known as rust on most types of steel does not form such a protective layer, so that the In most steel alloys, the component is destroyed by rust and is therefore neither corrosion-free nor corrosion-resistant.
• an aluminum and copper-containing design of the contact elements can consist of an aluminum base component – e.g., a plate – being electroplated with a copper-containing surface layer, which, for example, can have a layer thickness of approximately 1 mm.
• an aluminum component can be used, for instance, when it is to be welded as a contact element to a vehicle component that is also made of aluminum, as may be the case for weight-saving reasons, for example, for components of the vehicle body, such as a platform.
• the copper coating can be mechanically removed where the contact element is to be welded to the vehicle component, thus enabling this welding process without any problems.
• the contact elements can preferably be made of a non-corrosive stainless steel alloy, so that the contact element is both corrosion-resistant and corrosion-free. This ensures good electrical conductivity, which is maintained throughout the entire service life, since no oxide layer forms on the surface of the stainless steel contact element, which would have different electrical properties than the base material beneath the surface.
• Good electrical contact between the sleeve and the frame can be achieved by the sleeve making electrically conductive contact with the frame along its circumference.
• the sleeve can be pressed into the bore of the frame.
• the sleeve can have a circumferential collar on the side facing the structure, so that it adheres to the frame of the
• the rail vehicle is provided with the largest possible contact surface to which a corresponding contact surface of the superstructure can be attached when the superstructure is connected to the frame.
• the aforementioned sleeves can be omitted and the number of components reduced if a plate forms the frame-side contact element.
• the plate is placed on the frame, thus replacing the collar of one of the aforementioned sleeves that would otherwise rest on the frame.
• the plate can be large enough to extend over two or more bores arranged in the frame to accommodate the bolts, allowing several sleeves to be replaced by this single plate. With a suitable material selection, the plate can be welded to the frame all around, preventing moisture from penetrating underneath and thus protecting the inner surfaces of the bolt holes from corrosion.
• the drawing shows a section of a rail vehicle 1, in the form of a vertical section through the area of two bolted connections where a superstructure 2 is attached to a frame 3 of the rail vehicle 1.
• the superstructure 2 could, for example, be the housing of a specific unit, but it could also be a mounting bracket that is part of a larger component.
• This mounting bracket is a welded construction and has a cross-section similar to an I-beam.
• the depicted area of the frame 3 could, for example, be the top flange of a vehicle frame.
• the frame 3 has a bore 4 at each of the two screw points.
• the diameter of the bore 4 is dimensioned to provide clearance around a bolt 5.
• the bolts 5 are designed as screws.
• intermediate washers 6 and 8 made of different materials are arranged between a nut 7 and the frame 3, and between the screw head of the bolt 5 and the adjacent section of the structure 2 located below the screw head. These washers serve for load distribution and sealing, so that, for example, the surface of the frame 3 in the area of the bore 4 is sealed downwards by the intermediate washers 6.
• a plate 10 is located on the top side of the frame 3, i.e., towards the structure 2, thus providing a large contact area.
• the plate 10 can be welded to the frame 3 along its outer circumference to ensure a watertight connection between the plate 10 and the frame 3, thereby protecting the inner surfaces of the bores 4 from corrosion.
• Plate 10 represents a contact element of the frame 3, to which an electrically conductive contact element of the superstructure 2, designed as plate 9, rests. Both plates 9 and 10 are made of stainless steel and are therefore corrosion-resistant. Plate 9 has bores through which the two bolts 5 extend, so that when the bolting is completed, the contact elements of the superstructure 2 and the frame 3, namely plates 9 and 10, are pressed together and create an electrically conductive connection that forms part of the grounding system of the rail vehicle 1.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Elimination Of Static Electricity (AREA)
• Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)
• Train Traffic Observation, Control, And Security (AREA)
• Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=81748818

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2021
  • 2021-04-23 DE DE102021110519.6A patent/DE102021110519A1/de active Pending
• 2022
  • 2022-04-25 DK DK22169782.4T patent/DK4079593T3/da active
  • 2022-04-25 EP EP22169782.4A patent/EP4079593B1/de active Active

Patent Citations (2)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events